Further positive growth predicted for US ad market

Warc has released its latest Consensus Ad Forecast today, which shows the US ad market receiving the largest upgrade in forecast growth (4.1% this year, a rise of +0.8pp from the January forecast) of the 13 markets measured by the research.

Warc’s Forecast predicts that global marketing budgets will be raised by 5.3% in 2012 and by 5.4% in 2013, broadly in line with the last Consensus Forecast released in January.

European markets are still expected to lag behind in 2012, with the UK to grow by 2.4%, Germany by 1.6% and France by 1%. The only nation researched where a net decline is predicted is Spain ( -3.2%).

China remains the nation expected to deliver the highest annual adspend increase for 2012 at +14.8%. the other Brics, Russia, India and Brazil will also return double-digit yearly growth, at +13.6%, +11.4% and +10.2% respectively.

By media channel, there are few surprises. The Consensus Forecast indicated that global online advertising will receive the highest budget increases, recording an average of +14% across the 13 markets both for 2012 and 2013. Print media is set to decline further this year, with newspaper budgets cut by -1.5% and magazines by -1.1%.

The Forecast, is compiled based on a weighted average of adspend predictions at current prices from ad agencies,media monitoring companies and other industry bodies, as well as Warc’s own data.